Amusement device



April 6, 1948. H. K. sANDx-:LL

' AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Jan.l 25, 1945 Patented Apr. 6 `1948 UNITEDSTATES f PATENT; oFFIcE iiMUsEMinv'rv DEVICE Henry K. Sandell, Chicago,Ill., assigner to Clarence E. Threedy, Chicago, Ill., as trusteeApplication `lanuary 25, 1945, Serial No. 574,486

3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in amusementdevices and more particularly the invention relates to a mechanism forsupporting an object in a manner so as to give the object animation.

The invention contemplates the employment of a traveling conveying lineon which are supported objects simulating horses, and, as a primaryobject of this invention, is contemplated the employment of a balancespring which has the dual function of supporting the horse-simulatingobject in an upright position and yet of permitting the object tovibrate in the direction of its travel, thus simulating animation of theobject.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel lcombination and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan View taken substantially on line 2--2of Fig. 1.

The drawings illustrate the preferred form o construction of myinvention. By this construction the several objects of the invention areaccomplished. In this drawing ,are illustrated, somewhatdiagrammatically, two pulleys or rollers I over which is passed asupporting wire or bail I2, the pulleys being driven in any suitablemanner so that the wire I2 will travel through a given path in ahorizontal plane.

Extending up from this wire at predetermined points are supporting arms,one of which is indicated at I3. This arm has a horizontal portion Illsoldered as at I5 to the wire I2, and this horizontal portion terminatesinto a vertical arm I 5. Midway between the opposite ends of thisvertical arm I5' is fixed by the solder, I6, or the like, a bracket IIhaving one end angled to provide a front flange I8 and its opposite endportion bent substantially U-shaped as at I 9 to provide an Outer plate23 disposed in parallel relation with the back 2| of the bracket I'I.

Positioned between the plate 20 and the back 2l of the bracket I'I,within the U-shaped end portion I9, is a balance block 22. Disposedbetween this balance block 22 and the flange I8 is a balance spring 23.The end portion 24 of this spring 23 is secured by solder or the like tothe ange I8, whereas the opposite end portion 25 of the spring issecured by solder or the like to the 2 balance block 22. Extendingupwardly from this balance block 22 is a staff 26, and mounted on theupper end portion 21 of this staif 26 by means of solder or the like isan object 29 which, in the present instance, simulates a horse-race.

The balance block 22 is pivotally supported i the U-shaped portion I9 bymeans of al pintle 30 having both ends flattened as at 3| to prevent itsdisplacement.

The arrangement is such that when the Wire i2 is moved in its givenpath, a certain amount of vibration wil1 be created, and this vibrationwill be transmitted to the staff 26, which will be permitted to vibrateby virtue of the balance spring 23, and in so vibrating, the object 28simulating the horse will likewise vibrate and give the effect ofanimation, to-wit, as though the horse were #running along the givenpath travelled by the wire I2.

While the object 29 is shown and herein described as simulating a horse,it is obvious that this object may take any simple form, and therefore Ido not want to be limited to the simulation of a horse.

The foregoing description discloses` an animated object which may beutilized in amusement devices of diiierent types and forms and whichWill greatly enhance the appeal to the player, of the device with whichthe invention is associated.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into eifect, this is capable ofvariation and modiiication without .departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim las new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. A device for animating an object during travel thereof comprising amovable supporting arm, a staff, a resilient structure providingconnection between the staff and the arm whereby to permit vibration tobe transmitted from the arm to the staff, `an object to be animatedcarried by said staff, said structure comprising a bracket carried bythe arm, a balance block carried by the bracket and supporting the stan,and a balance spring having one end portion connected to the bracket andits opposite end portion connected to the balance block.

.2, A device for animating an object comprising a member adapted totravel in a given path, a. supporting arm extending upwardly from saidmember, a bracket carried by the supporting arm, a staff, an object tobe animated carried by said staff, and a resilient structure providing aconnection between the bracket and the sta'.

3. A device for animating an object comprising a member adapted totravel in a given path, a supportingarmv extending upwardly from saidmember, a bracket carried by the Vsupporting arm, a staff, an object tobe animated carried by said staff, a resilient structure providing aconnection between the bracket and the staff, said resilient structurecomprising a spring-controlled balance 4 v block carried by the bracketand supporting the stai.

HENRY K. SANDELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS

